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October 1970: John D Stamford of Spartacus applied to Lord Beaumont for Director of Albany Trust, no salary required!

Following Antony Grey’s resignation as Director of the Albany Trust in September 1970, John D Stamford of Spartacus [1st Floor, 46 Preston Street, Brighton, BN1 2HP] wrote to Lord Beaumont of Whitley to apply for his job, no salary required!

“Further to the resignation of Mr Antony Grey from the Directorship of the Albany Trust, I write to apply for his post. I feel that I am well qualified to undertake the responsibilities which this post carries.

I am Editor and proprietor of ‘Spartacus’ magazine which is a genuine and responsible homosexual publication with aims very similar to those of the Albany Trust. In this respect I am already regarded by many thousands of homosexuals in the United Kingdom, and indeed in many overseas countries, as the leader of the homosexual community in Britain.”

As a self-appointed ‘Leader of the homosexual community in Britain’ Stamford’s 1970 claim would within a decade be rejected in a letter to The Observer pointing out that ‘Mr Stamford’s publication is known to only a minority within a minority, and is of use or of interest to only a few of them” and criticising The Observer for giving Stamford more space than coverage of an Employment Tribunal of interest to homosexual people as opposed to a sub-set of jet-setting pederasts.

Observer 27 April 1980 [click on above to link to spotlightonabuse.wordpress.com]

“I do not wish to accept any form of salary from the Albany trust should I be offered the position of Director, and would be willing to provide my services free of charge. The only expenses which would be incurred would be those directly related to my work. I already travel extensively on behalf of my own organisation and by continuing my existing work in the British homophile movement with the work of the Albany trust I feel that I could save the trust a considerable amount of money, and I would probably be prepared to donate sizeable amounts of money to the work from ‘Spartacus’ funds. I am no longer in the position where I depend upon my work to produce an income, and I am sure you will realise the great advantages to the Trust of combining my existing activities with the activities of the Albany Trust and Sexual Law Reform Society.”

Where did Stamford build up such resources and wealth to be able to propose subsidising Albany Trust out of the proceeds of Spartacus? Purely from the number of subscriptions to Spartacus by 1970? Or was he receiving funding from elsewhere? One gets a sense of Stamford’s personality in both his grandiose characterisation of himself and also his obsequy with his sign off

Had Stamford and Lord Beaumont been in contact previously as suggested by, “and remain” ?

Lord Beaumont of Whitley replies within 48 hours enclosing an application form and job specification, pointing out the Trust had decided to broaden its coverage to the whole sexual field not just homosexuality